


Grounded

by Kayim



Category: Smallville
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-07-18
Updated: 2010-07-18
Packaged: 2017-10-10 15:52:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/101467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kayim/pseuds/Kayim
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ollie investigates one of Clark's abilities.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Grounded

It began as an experiment of sorts.

"Clark, I need you."

Ollie knew about the super-hearing, so it came out as a whisper. The phrase was repeated, over and over, remaining quiet each time. He stood in the middle of his office, dressed in his plain white suit, window open, heart beating fast.

Five repetitions later and the words were becoming a mantra for him. The more he spoke the phrase, the more he realised they were more than words to him.

A flash of blue and red came speeding through the open window and there stood Clark, dressed in his usual blue jeans and red checked shirt. He stood a few feet away from Ollie, eyes scanning the room, expecting to see something wrong.

"Oliver, what's wrong?" Clark asked, looking worried.

Ollie just stood there, staring. "You heard me." It was a statement, not a question.

If he'd looked closer, he'd have seen a slight blush appearing on Clark's face.

"I can hear everyone. All the time," Clark tried to explain. "The voices are like a constant hum in my head."

"But there are some people you can hear clearer than others, right?" Ollie pushed, stepping towards Clark.

Clark nodded. "My mom. Chloe. Sometimes Lois. I used to be able to hear Lana but ..." His voice trailed off.

"And me." Ollie took another step closer, this time clearly moving into Clark's comfort space. To his credit, the younger man didn't step back.

"Why can you hear me, Clark Kent?"

Clark shivered and wondered why the sound of Ollie saying his name made him feel like a kid about to go on his first date.

"I...I don't know," Clark admitted. That was a lie. There was a lot to do with his abilities that he didn't understand, couldn't figure out, but the reason for hearing certain people was obvious. The people he could always hear were those closest to him - the ones he *wanted* to hear. If he focused, he used to be able to listen to the sound of Lana breathing at night. He could sometimes hear Chloe typing on her keyboard, or cursing as she spilt coffee down her shirt. He could hear his Mom saying goodnight to his Dad every night before she went to bed. He liked it. In a world of noise and a jumble of voices, these few distinct sounds could help ground him.

Ollie grounded him.

As Ollie took a final step closer, Clark finally realised it. The connection he had to Chloe was one way. She knew his secret, and for that he was grateful, but there was nothing connecting them the other way around. With Ollie it was different. Each had a secret and each depended on the other for their loyalty. They had a connection that Clark didn't share with anyone else.

When Ollie finally brought his mouth to Clark's and kissed him, Clark knew that from now on, the lies and the secrets would bond them to each other in a way nothing else could.


End file.
